The Realm of the My Little Pony
by saveourmanatees373
Summary: It is a new era, a new monarchy, and all new ponies! This was co-written with my friend, alias Kyra Briefs. We both would like feedback please!!!!!!
1. Prelude

Prelude: The Realm of the My Little Pony  
  
It is several decades since the original My Little characters have been around. All are gone. All, that is, except for Shaggy, who we all knew and loved as a newborn pony. She is now an old and crotchety mare who is greatly feared by many of the young fillies and foals.   
  
Things have changed for the ponies. The monarchy is still in place, but there is a new law that has been instated. Now, any pony born of the king or queen that bears Moondancer's markings will take the throne. Not when the previous regent passes away, oh no! But instead, when they turn twelve, they take on the difficult task of remaining a student but also taking on the duties of being king or queen. This is done so that they may get help from their ruling parent, and grow with them.   
  
Actually, there is more than just one queen or king. There is also a vice king or queen. They have a more direct interaction with the true regent than, say, the United States vice president does with the president. There, the president makes the decisions; that's that. With the ponies, however, the vice queen or king works with their co-regent, although the decision must still be made by the king or queen themselves.  
  
Right now, Baby Moondancer and Baby Glory have just given up their "baby" status, and have taken on their new duties only weeks ago. Queen Moondancer gained the traits from her very proper mother, and Vice Queen Glory gained her traits from her laid-back father.  
  
  
  
Since this new monarchy began, a new name was given to the land that was inhabited by the "regular ponies." It is now called The Realm of the My Little Pony. Flutter Valley has kept its name, although it is now abandoned, as the flutters, Windy Wing and Summer Wing ponies decided to abandon their simple way of life to become part of The Realm. And so we begin our tale, with a whole new cast of characters, and a new way of life…. 


	2. The Renegade Windy Wing Ponies

Chapter One: The Renegade Flutters  
  
It was a gorgeous day in The Realm of the My Little Pony. School had just let out, and the baby ponies were scattered about enjoying their new-found freedom. Hot Shot, a Big Brother Pony, was leading soccer practice with the boys - Baby Julio, Baby Spaniel, Baby Jazz, Baby Speedboat and Baby Galaxy.  
Queen Moondancer and Vice Queen Glory were the only two children bottled up inside; the Law of the Dream indicated that the child carrying his or her parent's traits in the Royal Families took to the throne at age twelve. This was the young reagents' first year sporting the title "queen" and "vice-queen" instead of "baby."  
Outside, the Summer and Windy Wing ponies were taking flying lessons from the older Flutter ponies. All of them, that is, except for Baby Flutter, who was purple with a turquoise mane and tail, and a blue butterfly symbol, and Baby Bumble, who was yellow with a pink mane and tail, with an orange and black bee symbol.   
They were going through an obstinate phase, and were overly confident in their flying abilities. The two eight year olds had taken off, and soon had passed The Realm. Technically, they were not allow to even fly alone yet, and unless they were with their parent, they weren't allowed out of The Realm.   
The two, however, were too excited to care about the first law, thinking that SURELY they wouldn't get caught. And in their excitement of flying unaccompanied for the first time, they didn't notice right away that they had not only passed The Realm's border, but Flutter Valley and the Sea Pony Lagoon as well!  
Soon they were in supposedly uncharted territory. Not only this, but their stamina had not yet been built up, and their wings were finally beginning to give out. They made a hasty descent, and fell in a heap, panting.  
"Where are we Flutter?" cried Baby Bumble.  
"I don't know!" replied the distraught pony. "My wings can't carry me another hoof though. Perhaps we should just walk in the direction of Dream Valley until we can fly again."  
"Sounds good to me Flutter," replied Baby Bumble.  
The two headed north, in the direction of their home. Already they had been gone a couple of hours, and it was nearly lunch time. The two juveniles' stomachs began growling. Unfortunately, the two had failed to think ahead, and hadn't brought any food. Suddenly, they heard a soft crying coming from their right. 


	3. Pyro and Hacksign are Found

Chapter Two: Pyro And Hacksign are Found  
  
Pyro stood still. He was black, with orange and red fire flames coming up his legs and black tail, and also on his hip as his symbol. Pyro's ears twitched as he heard an approaching sound, his eyes flashing open, his whole body suddenly aware of everything going around him. He could hear faintly the soft clamp of tiny hooves against the ground, the wind blowing through their manes and tails, their voices quiet, though audible. He looked to Hacksign, a pale green pony: it was obvious she was still asleep, her body worn from the recent storm that had nearly claimed both their lives. She was whimpering softly, and it pained him to see her in such a position. So, though he did not trust what he would find waiting for him at the other end of the rock they hid by, he stood up, his eyes glaring down at the two ponies lost on their trail. His eyes widened slightly when he saw what they were, but his stance remained unmoving.  
  
"Who are you?" Pyro called out, his eyes never leaving them. Though his body was still weak, he stood strong and tall, his eyes boring down on them, letting them know that he did not in the bit trust them. Baby Flutter quietly nudged Baby Bumble, using her nose to point up to where the young Pyro was standing. Bumble's mouth dropped open in shock! So that was the sound she'd been hearing. She still couldn't make out exactly what he was calling out, though. "We can't hear you!" She yelled at the top of her voice.   
  
Pyro remained in his stance, unwilling to leave Hacksign by herself, especially not after what she had been through. He also found that the ponies looked quite similar to Hacksign, what with the simple sign on their backs and all. Neither had any other signature, unlike him, his fire stripes running up and down his legs. "Then come closer," he called back out to them. He took a few steps from behind the rock, standing by it, his stance going into complete defensive mode.   
  
Baby Bumble looked helplessly up at the rock where this strange creature was. She wasn't even positive that it was a pony from this distance. Her wings felt as though they were made of lead, but she knew that they would have to go up and check on this poor creature, whoever he was. Baby Flutter must have felt the same way, because she said, "I'm going to try and fly up there. It sounds like whoever that is really is hurt."   
  
"I'm going too!" cried Baby Bumble. So they mustered up what they had of their strength and slowly but surely made their way up to where the black creature was. Once they reached the embankment, they landed, wheezing. Suddenly Bumble saw the black creature, and saw that it was a pony, and not a pony she'd ever seen before. "Hi," she said shyly .  
  
Pyro gazed at the ponies with immense curiosity, examining every bit of their apparent features before speaking. They seemed kind and honest enough, innocent in a way, though there was a haughtiness about them that made him wonder. Finally he spoke, his voice calmer than what it had been, though he still did not let down his defenses. "I didn't know there were others like us," Pyro stated, his eyes never leaving the two. "Where... did you come from?'   
  
"The Realm of the My Little Pony. It's where all the My Little Ponies live... at least that's what I thought," stated an unsure Bumble.   
  
"I remember Miss Juniper saying something about some renegade ponies in history, once," interjected Flutter. "They left to live on their own. But that was hundreds of years ago! We thought they were dead!"   
  
"Oh yeah..." reflected the less studious Bumble.   
  
"Well I don't know anything about any renegade ponies, or any My Little Ponies, or any Realm," Pyro stated. He went behind the rock, only to return moments later with another pony lying unconscious around his back. "But... we need help. Hacksign is hurt, and she has been asleep for a long time now. Can you show me where you live?"  
  
Baby Bumble looked at Flutter. "I... well, that is, Flutter and I kinda weren't supposed to come her to begin with... we're too young to fly this far alone. We barely made it up to you, we're so tired. I have two ideas, and at least one will work. I say we make camp here tonight, and light a big fire. We can look for food nearby. If we make the fire big enough, maybe someone in the castle towers will see the smoke and send Chief (big bro pony and fire chief) to investigate." If they don't come tonight for us, then we'll take you home tomorrow morning first thing."   
  
Pyro hesitated. He didn't want to sit around and wait for morning: Hacksign needed attention now. However, he felt that his own body could not carry her all the way to Dream Valley, and it would be best to stay where they were safe then to stop to rest in a place where danger would be inevitable. Sighing deep, he allowed Hacksign to slip from his grasp. 


	4. The Great Pony Rescue!

Chapter Three: Rescue!  
  
"All right," Pyro said, "we can stay the night, though I don't really like the idea." He looked up at the night sky, still dark from the previous storm. "I'll go find some wood for a fire and some water. Make up camp if you can." And so saying, the tiny pony bounded off into the nearby forest.  
  
It didn't take him long to find the supplies he needed: he was, after all, used to the sky and ground as his only means of shelter. He returned with enough wood for a good fire, and some water less they become thirsty. However, food was another issue. He had, on his findings, found that the only food around were berries, and he knew right away that they were best left on the branches they grew on.   
  
Bumble and Flutter thought for a minute, and then came to a mutual agreement. Flutter, who was a little bit weaker and less resourceful than her friend, would stay behind and watch over the strange pony called Hacksign. Bumble went off in the opposite direction as Pyro in search of food. She had lived in these parts all of her life, and knew what sorts of things were safe to eat and weren't, and where to find them. Pretty soon she returned to camp with some prized gludins, which were a sort of nutty flavored root with the texture of a potato. They were healthy and good at replenishing energy. The three female ponies quietly awaited for Pyro's return so they could get a fire started.   
  
When Pyro returned, he was quick to start the fire without much of a word to the others. It was funny, it was as though starting and controlling fires came naturally to him, and he figured that his name and looks had something to do with it. The fire soon raged long and high, and the exhausted pony lied down near his friend, his body nuzzling against hers, as though to keep her safe. However, he stayed awake, his eyes glued to the dancing flames before them. It was obvious he wasn't much of the conversationalist.   
  
Bumble took the five precious gludins she had found and placed them near the coals of the fire, allowing them to cook through. "Do you think we can get -uh- Hacksign to eat something? It might help her regain her strength," said Bumble.  
  
"I've tried to wake her a few times," Pyro spoke, his voice low and distant. "I think I'll just let her sleep. If no one comes tonight, we'll have to move through the daytime, and she'll need all the rest she can get." His answer was simple, nothing too complicated, and he continued to gaze into the endless fire.   
  
The two girls exchanged a look of disbelief, but tossed their manes. (Which is the pony way of shrugging) Several times they tried to engage Pyro in a conversation, but he kept his answers short and simple, too worried about his friend to be sociable, or at least that's what the young Summer Wing ponies figured. Finally they were able to draw him out when Flutter asked, "So what happened to your parents? How long have you lived by yourselves?"   
  
Pyro paused for a moment, as if deciding whether or not to answer their question. However, he finally spoke. "Hacksign is not sure what happened to her parents, she barely remembers them, it was so long ago. We've known each other for a long time, practically all our lives. I don't even really remember how we met to tell you the truth. We were just always... there." Of course, he knew that he hadn't uttered a word about his parents or past, but he decided to keep a locked door on that matter. Though he vaguely remembered it, what he did remember he did not want to. He forced a small smile as he looked at the two through the firelight, the dancing flames gleaming off his eyes, making him seem almost devoid of all emotion, like a statue or something. "And what about you?" he inquired. "The Realm of the My Little Pony... sounds like a nice place."   
  
This time Bumble chimed in. "It really is. We have schools, and our parents are great... The government is really good, although right now we are adjusting to the passing of the crown." She then proceeded to explain a little bit about the double monarchy. "We have lots of friends, and plenty to eat and stuff. And a doctor for Hacksign, too."  
  
Pyro nodded quietly, listening to all they had to say. "Sounds nice..." however, he was quiet edgy about being around others. "If you have a doctor there... then we need to go as soon as possible"   
  
The two girls exchanged nervous glances. "Well..." began a nervous and embarrassed Flutter, "yes, it IS important to get her to the doctor... but... see, Bumble and I weren't exactly supposed to fly without a teacher or parent... and we broke the law by leaving the valley. So we're going to be in trouble when we get home. Big trouble."  
  
Pyro smiled a bit, looking down now at the burning coals. "Well, better to learn now your mistakes then repeat them later on and find yourself in more trouble than you can handle." His eyes rose up, as he gazed at the starless night sky as the smoke from the fire cluttered. "I hope someone comes quick," he said in a small voice.  
  
"I'm sure they will," Flutter comforted, but deep down, she doubted it. She was pretty sure that they were too far from The Realm for the flames to be seen. Bumble rose from her lying position, and poked at the odd roots. She determined them to be ready, took three sticks and skewered them, passing one first to Pyro, then Flutter, then one for herself. The three ate in silence, and soon they felt their energy restored. After a few hours, all four baby ponies fell into a deep sleep. Flutter was the first to hear the rescue party. She groggily rose and looked down over the cliff. Not only had Chief come, but also both girls' fathers.   
  
Pyro, though his eyes were closed and his body sound, kept his senses alert the night through, still on guard in case of danger, or if the ponies they had met up with seemed untrustworthy. ((yes, he has some SERIOUS trust issues!)) He heard Flutter wake from her long sleep, and his ears twitched when he heard what had gotten her so alarmed. Immediately he shot up and raced to the cliff by her, looking down to see with relief that a rescue party had indeed come to get them. Twisting around, he grabbed Hacksign, pulling her onto his back. "Come on Bumble, get up," Pyro urged, not wanting to dawdle a second more. He approached near the end of the rock, looking down at them. At least now Hacksign would be all right…  
  
"Daddy!" cried Flutter. "Daddy! We're up here! There are two earth ponies here too. They aren't from Dream Valley. One is really sick. Can you come up and get them?" "Of course, Flutter. Is Bumble up there too?" Bumble was slowly waking up, but she was alert enough to call out "I'm here! Just take me home..." Flutter's father, Cricket, and Bumble's father, Stinger, quickly flew up to the edge. Each took an earth pony on their back and flew down the cliff.   
  
"Can you girls fly home alright?" inquired Stinger.  
  
"Yes, Daddy." replied Flutter.   
  
"Okay, we'll stay together until we get to the valley, and then it's straight home with you. I'm taking these two young ones to the doctor. They can't be more than six years old, and both seem sick. I want you HOME when I come back, got it?" asked Cricket.  
  
"Yes sir," replied a nervous Flutter.   
  
"That goes for you too, Bumble," added Stinger. She simply hung her head and nodded.   
  
Pyro hesitated before climbing onto Cricket's back, but he felt he had to trust them, if for only Hacksign's sake. "We're not ill," he politely told the older pony as they were flown to Dream Valley. "But we were injured in the storm. Hacksign has been asleep for a while now." And then he said no more. He was in fact quite surprised to be flying on ponies... well, to be flying period. It made him wonder what other surprises were in store for him and his friend... 


	5. Medical Measures

Chapter 4: Medical Measures  
  
Once all the ponies came into the limits of the valley, the two Summer Wing ponies headed dejectedly toward their homes, knowing that their "tails" would soon be in for it. Chief had stayed behind at the cliff, making sure no remnants of the fire remained. Stinger and Cricket headed immediately to the home of Slither, the yellow unicorn and doctor. He had his practice in a room adjacent to his house.   
  
When they landed, Pyro immediately got to his feet, refusing politely any help. He knew he could make the few simple steps to the clinic, and at any rate he wanted to be able to see Hacksign perfectly. Quite indeed, the boy was far mature for his age, and one, when given a chance to talk to him, could easily mistake him for someone much older who merely had a growth problem. He entered the office, casting small glances at the doctor inside, watching his moves carefully, studying him without a word.   
  
"Slither, I know it's only 3:00 in the morning, but we have had a bit of an emergency," Stinger began. "Are your daughters okay? I heard they had run off together. I see you both have a child. Wait! That isn't Bumble nor Flutter! It's an earth pony! I've never seen him before. Son, what's your name? How old are you? What's wrong?" he began his barrage of questions.   
  
Pyro did not like the way the man was questioning him, and he most certainly did not like his rushed tone. To quiet him, he merely motioned to Hacksign. "Hacksign has been hurt. We were in a storm, and she got cut up pretty badly. I think its been around 7 hours ago or so, and she hasn't woken up."   
  
"Hack-sign," he slowly said the strange name. "Well, let's have a look at her. Would you put her up on the table please?" Stinger immediately complied. The young girl was still out cold. Slither began a slow, meticulous examination of her. His largest concern was in a piece of wood that was jammed in the side of her head. "I think this is the cause of her unconsciousness. This probably has caused a concussion. I need to remove it, but I don't want her to feel it in the event she would wake up." He made his way over to the cabinets, and grabbed a hypodermic syringe and filled it full.   
  
Pyro watched cautiously as the doctor did his work, his eyes never leaving him, never resting from their in-depth study of each and every one of his movements. He was determined to make sure Hacksign would pull through, as well as to make sure these strangers could be trusted: and he could not and would not rest until he felt satisfied with their work.   
  
Slither noticed Pyro's wariness. "She'll be just fine. This shot is just to numb the area around the wound so she won't feel anything. I promise." Quickly and deftly, the injection was given, and the good doctor had removed a large chunk of wood from Hacksign's skull. He rinsed the wound, ridding it of any remaining splinters, packed it with a special medicinal substance, and then quickly sewed the small hole up. While the little pony continued to sleep he cleaned the rest of her minor cuts and abrasions but found nothing seriously wrong with the young filly except for malnourishment. He went to his supply case and got the items together for an IV, and quickly had her hooked up to a slow drip that would replenish her body fluid and nutrients. This done, he turned back to Pyro. "Now, son, she will soon awake. Once she gets the nutrients in her she'll be much better. I just want to check you out, though,. Will you let me?"  
  
Pyro hesitated for a moment. He really did not want to be examined by anyone, but he reasoned that if he trusted him well enough to take care of Hacksign, he should have no worries. So, reluctantly, he gave a nod, though his body was tense and rigid. Meanwhile, he kept looking over to Hacksign. He would stay with her the night to make sure she was all right.   
  
Slither couldn't help but smile, although he turned around so Pyro couldn't see him. It was just that Pyro was taking on such an adult attitude about this whole thing, and he couldn't have been more than six years old! Slither wanted nothing more than to know more about these two, since it had been assumed that no ponies lived outside of Dreamvalley. But instead, he just turned his attention to Pyro, and carefully checked him for any injuries. Pyro had gotten off fairly easily, with some minor scrapes. Most of his exhaustion was coming from severe dehydration, which the water he had found at the cliff had only begun to touch. Slither got a cot from his spare room, and brought it into the exam room. "Son, I want you and Hacksign to stay here tonight, just to be sure you are both okay. Now, you need a lot of liquids. I need you to either drink a lot of Pedialyte (yes, ponies had it too) or be hooked up to an IV.... your choice.  
  
"I'll drink the liquid," Pyro said without hesitation. The last thing he wanted was to be hooked up to some machine: the thought made him uneasy, to say the very least. However, he did not think twice about climbing into the cot, happy finally to be getting some rest. He stared long and hard at Hacksign, assuring himself that she would be all right before he slowly drifted off into slumber land.  
  
The doctor went over to the two fathers. "If the little girl doesn't wake by morning I will use the smelling salts, but I want this as natural as possible. You can go ahead and go on home now. I know you'll have two little girls to attend to first thing in the morning. I will give you a call when they have both awakened and eaten something. We'll have to take them to the queens and see what is to be done with them. I'm sure we'll be happy to keep them, but then again... who knows. We'll have to find adoptive families for them. The two pegasi nodded, and sleepily headed off to their homes. Slither turned back to check on his patients, and found both of them to be sound asleep, even Pyro, who had a bubble of spittle formed at his chin. 


	6. Welcome to the Realm

Chapter 5 Welcome to the Realm  
  
The next morning, Hacksign yawned and stretched, only to find herself in the oddest of places. "Huh? What the..." her gaze fell about the room, complete and utter confusion settling in.  
  
Pyro, upon hearing Hacksign stir, fluttered his eyes open, awake. "Hmm? Hacksign..." he was quite tired, and halfway awake at the time.  
  
"Hey where are we?" Hacksign asked to her friend. "This place is... weird." In the shortest terms Pyro could muster, he told Hacksign what he could. Hacksign listened intently, understanding every last bit. "So... we're not alone..."  
  
Pyro nodded. "No, not at all..." Hacksign smiled, and leaned over to plant a small kiss on Pyro's cheek. "Ok, you sleep then."  
  
Pyro did not have to be told twice as his eyes fell closed, his mind drifting back away to sleep.  
  
Hacksign got up to the best of her abilities, finding it annoying to see wires and such connected to her. Stumbling, she took them all out, and immediately fell off the cot she was lying on. Hissing, she rubbed at her head, mumbling all sorts of words one so young should not know. She then blinked, looking directly in front of her. She didn't know what it was... but it had a shiny red button. "Cool..." licking her lips, she approached the button.  
  
Not seconds later, Hacksign went flying out of the clinic on what seemed to be some sort of vehicle. Bashing through everything that got in her way, she hooted and hollered with excitement. "YEAAAAAAAHHH!!!!! I LOVE THIS VALLEY!!!!"   
  
The alarm that always sounded in the valley to alert that the ambulance was in use went off at exactly 7:06 am. Little had Hacksign known that a simple red button was the ejector for the emergency vehicle. Unfortunately, she couldn't stop it since she knew nothing about what she was on.  
  
Slither came out in his night cap, still looking extremely groggy. Why on earth the siren was sounding he couldn't figure out... until he looked over to Pyro, who was jumping up and down on his cot.   
  
Pyro had heard the siren immediately, and frantically had gotten to his feet in reaction. However, his mind had forgotten that he was currently on the cot, and his feet were not ready for the slippery substance. So, slipping and sliding, the pony fell of backwards, knocking his head on the hard floor. He hissed, rubbing his head, but stopped when he heard Hacksign's cry. His eyes going wide, he raced out the door, only to see what he had dreaded: Hacksign riding on something he had never seen before, looking as though she were having the time of her life.  
  
"AH HA HA HA!!!! I AM HACKSIGN, AND I LOVE THIS WHATEVER IT IS!" She had figured out how to honk the horn, and was commencing to make her presence known.  
  
Pyro's face straitened, and he ran in front of the vehicle, his body poised. "Hacksign, stop that now!" he called.  
  
"I wouldn't even if I could, Pyro!" Hacksign called in joy.  
  
Pyro nodded in understanding and, when the vehicle came close enough, he jumped. He flew high into the air at a speed that almost made him look as though he were flying, then landed into the empty seat by Hacksign.  
  
"Glad you could join me!" Hacksign said with a mischievous grin. "Now lets see what else this baby can do!" And with that, she pressed yet another shiny red button, causing the vehicle to barrel down Dream Valley at over 100 MPH.   
  
The two young ponies were having a blast, and gave no second thought to the vehicle's leaving deep ruts in the soccer field, or knocking over elderly Shaggy's prize-winning petunia pots. They kept going and going, leaving a path of wreckage in their wake. Many angry ponies were chasing them, but it was a futile mission; even those who could fly weren't able to keep up with the machine's 100 mph. Really, all of these things weren't too bad. It was when their little joyride led them through the palace gardens that they began to worry. But it didn't stop there. They went on into the main entrance of the palace, skidding this way and that, knocking over an expensive vase here, a marble statue there. Finally some adults thought to call ahead, and the many workers of the castle laid a trap of ropes for the vehicle. By this time they had slowed down due to hitting so many things, and with enough ponies holding onto the multiple ropes, they finally managed to bring the two misfits to a stop.   
  
"That was fun!" Hacksign cried. "Lets do it again!" She turned to Pyro, who looked more than ready to attack. Hacksign noticed this, and smiled. "Awe, come on! Where's your sense of adventure!" So saying, she jumped on top of him, pinning him immediately to the ground. "Come on, I run, you chase! What do you say?"  
  
"I say we have other, bigger problems now Hacksign." He looked up, his eyes resting on the many castle guards who looked, at that time, more than irritated. He gave a sheepish grin  
  
Hurtle, one of the female guards that was wielding one of the ropes looked sternly into Pyro and Hacksign's eyes. "Just what do you think you are doing?" she cried angrily. "You've destroyed the entire castle garden and entranceway!"   
  
"No we didn't," Hacksign argued. "All we did was knock over some vases, a few statues: nothing big!" She hopped up on the vehicle, leaning on a lever. "It's not like we took down the whole palace or any- woops." And there went the lever, leaving Hacksign to discover yet another ability of the machine: flight. And before she knew it, she was flying through the sky." YEEAAAAAAHHHHH THIS IS FUN!" she called.  
  
Pyro sweat-dropped. "I'm beginning to wonder if medication wouldn't be useful here," he stated with a sigh.   
  
"AH HA HA HA HA!" she immediately grabbed the controls, and began to steer the machine... right into the palace and through a window. Crashing through it, the machine stopped inches away from the Queen herself. Hacksign peeked out from it, and smiled. "Hey, nice room you have here! Did you have to work hard for it, or did you just win it or something?"   
  
Queen Moondancer looked up from her record keeping in shock when the flying ambulance made a crash landing in her study. Glory wasn't there yet, although she was due any minute. Moondancer looked around for the cause of the problem, and quickly spied Hacksign in the mess that used to be the ambulance. "Who are you! It's to the dungeons with you! I will be here FOREVER trying to make sense out of everything you just messed up! 'Did I have to work hard for this room or just win it?' What do you think you little twit! I'm the queen! This is where I do my work with..."   
  
"...me," finished the vice queen, who had just made her way through the mess. "Now, what's the problem here? Who are you? You can't be more than five years old! Come on out, I won't let Moondancer hurt you... she just has a quick temper is all.."   
  
Hacksign growled, she did not like one bit the threat about being put inside a dungeon. "Hey I may be around 5 lady, but you've got SOME nerve yelling at me like that! Where's Pyro when you need him! I'll-" she stopped short when the vice-queen arrived, her words not so threatening. She grunted, and looked at the queen. "All right, but I'd find a queen with a better attitude if I were you!" And with that, she hopped off, turning around momentarily to look at the mess she made. "Heh. Well, think of it this way, Queenie!" she turned to the woman with a large grin on her face. "Now you can get a bigger window installed! Think of it - it'd be perfect for the summer days." She sighed. "Hey, what's your name anyway? Moondancer, right? Which do you prefer - Moondancer, or Queenie?"   
  
"I PREFER," the twelve year old queen said, her voice steely, "Queen Moondancer when I'm being addressed by someone who isn't my friend. And right now, I can't say that you exactly ARE my friend"  
  
Hacksign blinked, then smiled warmly. "Hey, what's the big deal? It's just a little hole!" She looked over again to the massive hole and the protruding vehicle, and grunted. "Well hey, nice meeting you anyway, Queenie! By the way, are you reeeeeally the head honcho around here? I mean, if I'm not mistaken... you're kind of just a kid. Or are you some kind of midget?" She flipped her mane back in a shrug.  
  
"Hacksign..." Pyro entered just then with some of the guards, Pyro merely coming along to keep the rambunctious pony out of trouble. Hacksign turned around, and smiled as her friend entered.   
  
"Hiya Pyro! I'd like you to meet Queenie! Queenie, Pyro! Pyro, Queenie!" she said her introductions.  
  
Pyro snorted. "Nice to meet you."  
  
"Am I to take it you know this little baby? Heck, you aren't more than a baby yourself!" The queen said to Pyro. "And no, I'm NOT a midget. I'm 12. That's when the queen always takes the throne. Who are you? Where did you come from?"   
  
Hacksign sweat-dropped at the Queen's comment. "Feh. I may be a baby as far as age goes, but at least I'm not acting like one." She then smiled, lifting her head up high. "Awe, you're not still mad about the little hole I made are you?" She looked to the gigantic thing, and sweat-dropped again. "Ok, ok, so I'll admit it, it's not exactly tiny. So I'm not perfect, so sue me!" She sighed, smiling wide as though she had completely forgotten the predicament she was in. "So Queenie, you can actually become a Queen at age 12? Heh, I think I'll LIKE this place!"  
  
Pyro sighed. "I'm just surprised to find others like us. And some... similar to us."  
  
"Hey where do you go to pee?" Hacksign inquired.   
  
Vice-Queen Glory knelt down to Hacksign's level. "I'll have Hurtle take you down to the bathrooms, Sweetie." She then turned to Pyro. "Now, I'm afraid we STILL don't know your names... things have been a little, ah, wild, to say the least, huh? Now, mine is Glory. What's yours, and that little hellion's with my guard?"   
  
"Well then allow me to give introductions!" Hacksign said with a large grin on her face. "My name's Hacksign, and that's my buddy Pyro. To put our life story short, we met up when we were really young, and kind of just lived on our own. Didn't really know where we came from or anything like that. In fact, you're the first things like us we've EVER seen!"   
  
Hacksign grunted. "Well anyway.... I gotta pee, so!" she turned to the guard. "Lead the way!"  
  
"Okay. Well, we'll work on finding adoptive families for each of you..." Glory was then rudely cut off by a white and blue tornado that blew in.   
  
As the thing came to a stop, Glory disgustedly saw that it was Moondancer's bratty baby brother, Cradle. "Mama says you better come downstairs RIGHT NOW Moondancer 'cause you're late for breakfast," he said tauntingly. At that moment he noticed the fact that there was another pony in the room. "Who are you? You aren't s'posed to be in here, Mama said no outsiders are 'llowed in here. Wait! You're funny lookin'. Baby ponies aren't s'posed to become Twice as Fancy until they're at least twelve! FREAK!!!!"  
  
Pyro smirked at the younger one's mockings, taking them simply like a 3 year old calling down to his parents. "Better to be freaks than a child with a snappy attitude who has no respect for his elders." And he left it at that. Being called a freak, he could handle: it hardly bothered him, if at all. After all, at least now he found a place he felt he truly belonged: so much, it didn't matter if he was an odd wheel or not.   
  
"Moondancer! The Freak made fun of me!" whined the bratty prince to his elder sister.   
  
"Oh, I don't know," smirked the elder pony. "I think you had that coming. And he isn't a FREAK, he's just different. There is no LAW that states when a pony changes. Besides, he isn't an outsider; he will soon be a citizen of Dreamvalley. And going by his age, you two will be school mates. So I would watch your tongue. You just run down to Mommy and tell her I'll be there when I can. We have a bit of an emergency here now."   
  
Pyro sighed deep, his eyes darting back down to the ground in wonder. He had no idea what would happen next, and with Hacksign's grand entrance, he figured it wouldn't be all too wonderful. However, if they dared touch her, well... no. He couldn't think of that. It made him wonder, however... if such chance were to swing his way, would he react in the only way he knew how in order to keep that friend of his safe? He could only pray not...   
  
"Now, Pyro, isn't it?" asked the somewhat less frazzled Moondancer. "Hacksign should be back soon here. I'll bet you are getting hungry. How would you like to have breakfast with us this morning while we discuss finding each you and.. uh... Hacksign, a home. As well as how we're going to make up for the MESS you caused... I know... it wasn't your fault... but still... I think we're having pancakes. How 'bout it?"   
  
Pyro managed a small smile, his eyes still focused on the ground beneath. "Yes, I would like that. Thank you."  
  
Hacksign sighed as she made her way back into the room which had now become one giant window. "You know, some of these ponies creep me out! Giving me some evil kind of look and all! How rude! All I did was make a teeny tiny mess in the bathroom!" Or in that case, it meant causing it to bring fear and dread to janitors everywhere. Of course the little pony went nuts: she had never before seen toilet paper, and definitely not a toilet. So, she experimented, flushing every bit of toilet paper in the bathroom down, and when she ran out of that, she went to other things, which in doubt caused all the toilets to overflow. In attempt to clean up all the "yucky" water, Hacksign tried using the water from the sink. Needless to say, she broke off the top, and water from there was starting to spew out. When she exited the bathroom, she drenched every guard around her.  
  
Hurtle had gently bit Hacksign on the ear and drug her back to the other ponies (Keep in mind, ponies don't have hands, and have learned to use their mouths gently with things like baby's ears) "What now?" sighed Moondancer at the sight of a very wet and slightly smelly Hacksign. "She, ah, claims to have never seen a toilet before, your majesty, and plugged it up... then broke the faucet in trying to mop up the mess. What this little brat needs is a good..." "breakfast." interjected, knowing full-well where Hurtle was going. She personally agreed with that thought, but it was true that this baby had been put into an extreme situation unlike any other she'd ever been in before. "Hurtle, take her into the queen's private bathroom and get Hacksign dried off. We'll meet you downstairs." Moondancer made as if to argue the thought of the terror messing with her private quarters, but bit her tongue and nudged Pyro out the door.   
  
Pyro followed without question, silence falling each of his steps. When he arrived at the feast, he couldn't help but bulge his eyes a bit. It was like nothing he had ever seen before, foods of all kinds he had never even seen lain out before him for the taking. However, he became cautious. One thing he learned, is that things were always too good to be true.  
  
Meanwhile, Hacksign, for once, did not make a mess, as Hurtle familiarized her with their "great technology." She soon joined Pyro at the banquet, her eyes meeting the same satisfaction as his, though without the sudden caution. "Whoa... ok, I'm in heaven officially!"   
  
Seated around the table were Moondancer (the elder), Cradle, Majesty, and there were two places set for Moondancer and Glory. Servants were hurriedly setting places for the two new additions to the breakfast, although they had secret bets on whether or not the breakfast would go without a problem. All they had heard about this Hacksign had been negative thus far. "May I introduce Pyro and Hacksign? They will be joining our kingdom soon. We need to worry about finding them each a home."   
  
"It's all right," Pyro spoke up in the midst of things. "We can easily find something on our own, we don't need to trouble anyone."  
  
"Speak for yourself!" Hacksign said with a grunt. "I'm beginning to like all this "new technology!"  
  
"Well, if you are talking about us finding you a new home, I'm afraid that's a must. You are way too young to live by yourselves. But I'm sure we can find two families who would be willing to adopt. The kingdom is quite large, so there should be no problem in just finding two, don't you think Glory?" asked Moondancer.   
  
Hacksign looked down at the food, licking her lips hungrily. Too into the sweet scent that overflowed her nostrils, she ignored completely the discussion about a home, and began to practically wolf down her food. "This is good!" the pony cried with a whole mouthful of food. "Really good! This is heaven!" Her eyes slowly slipped to something that immediately caught her eye, something she saw through one of the windows. A computer. "Ooooh... what's that?" her eyes lit up, a bit of food dropping from her now gaping mouth.   
  
Moondancer the Elder, quite disgusted by the sight of the messy young pony, took a napkin and roughly wiped her face. "That's a computer, Hacksign," replied Moondancer nervously. "But I'm not sure if that's something for you to mess with...."   
  
"Nonsense!" Hacksign said. "It looks cool to me!" And before she could be stopped, she jumped onto the table, through the potato salad, and onto the ground, leaving behind her food prints as she entered the house and into the room.  
  
Pyro himself was quite curious, and followed post haste after the excited pony. However, he was careful enough not to find himself leaving food trails with his hoofs. When he got inside the room, he found Hacksign sitting at the seat, reading what appeared to be a very large, and he guessed, very complex instruction manual.  
  
"Mommy!" whined the little prince Cradle, "Mommy, you won't allow ME on the 'puter alone, and I'm your own son. You aren't going to allow her to get on it, are ya?" But it was too late, Hacksign had already gotten into the royal machine. The machine with the three supposedly impossible to guess passwords.   
  
"This is definitely interesting!" Hacksign paused for a moment, looking at the door. With a mischievous smirk, she found a single button and, pressing it, caused numerous locks and bolts to lock down, shutting them, trapped, within the room, obviously a false-safe for whatever disasters could possibly happen. There was, indeed, no way to get in. Smirking Hacksign declared, "Well at any rate, this will give me more time to read without those busy-bodies interrupting me!"  
  
Smiling, Pyro merely shook his head, lying down on the floor in complete rest, just happy to have a bit of peace.  
  
A few hours passed, and by that time Hacksign had gone through the entire manual. Smirking, she then put her hoofs to work and started up the computer. It wasn't long before she got in - a few moments, in fact, as she found a way through the system. It was almost too easy! The computer controlled everything, she found quickly and, getting bored of being all locked up there alone, finally released the hatch to let the others in. When she did so, however, she forgot about them completely, and continued typing away at the computer, smirking as she connected each and every strand of errors it could possibly have, fixing them and, ultimately, making it run at a much faster pace.   
  
Queen Moondancer quickly joined the younger pony, her mouth open in shock. Young Hacksign was typing away, oblivious to the quickly growing crowd. "How on Earth did you do that?" spluttered a confused Moondancer. "We've been having problems with that computer for ages!"  
  
"Well didn't you read the manual?" Hacksign inquired with a grunt, her hoofs still tapping away at the tiny to her standards computer before her. She paused, as a grin filled across her face, one that the ponies were soon to recognize immediately as having an idea, whether ingenious or just plain insane, only time could truly tell. "You know," she started with much interest, "things could work much more easily and efficient if you just hooked them up to this single computer. Kind of like a master, controlling everything and anything within here." Of course, her true intentions were far different from that. Though, would they be any the wiser?  
  
"I don't know…" said a slightly dubious Moondancer.  
  
"Oh, get with it, Moony!" said Glory excitedly. "She obviously has talent when it comes to this. Surely she knows what she's doing."  
  
Moondancer glared at her friend and co-reagent at the use of her pet name from younger years. She stood staring at the cursory movements of the young Hacksign, who, as of yet hadn't done anything to destroy something. This WAS a first for the young pony, after. "Alright, Glory, we'll try it, I guess. But if ANYTHING goes wrong, it's YOUR fault."  
  
"Yes, your majesty," she replied in a mocking tone. "Hacksign, how difficult will it be to get this hooked up to everything else? And just how much stuff did you have in mind?" asked Glory.  
  
Hacksign smirked, a look of pure and utter joy and chaos on her features. However, this went unnoticed by the others, and when she twisted her chair around to face them, she held nothing but smiles. "For me, a few minutes, actually. As far as "everything" is concerned, I would say from the alarms to the fire extinguishers: I could even install small computers within the tractors and what-not. This way if they're ever lost, they can be tracked, and they will only be able to be operated by certain ponies of your choice." She smiled wide, hiding her true intentions. After all, she was merely a child, and what does a child like more than to have fun? She was obviously good with computers, far better than any of them could even begin to imagine: and she would have her fun. Oh yes, she most certainly would.  
  
Pyro meanwhile, sat in a corner, listening to all of this with pure silence, a whimsical look on his face. He knew of Hacksign's intentions, he knew her too well indeed. He also knew that there would be no way to control or contain her thirst for action and thrills.  
  
"Okay, we'll give it a go, Hacksign, but not now, okay? I need to worry about finding you each a home for the time being," said Moondancer. "Glory, would you get on the kingdom's PA system and call a Valley-Wide meeting? Including all adult ponies… the kids can remain at home." Glory, who was looking forward to seeing what could be done with the computer was greatly disappointed, but she galloped off at full speed for the top tower of the castle. There was a PA system that, once activated, could be heard through the entire valley. Before long, the staticy announcement came out: "All adult ponies, please make your way to the Meeting Place. This is IMPORTANT. No excuses except for injuries or illnesses. Please keep the children at home or away from the Meeting Place. That is all."  
  
Soon Moondancer, along with her family, was herding the two new ponies out of the still messy castle, and outside. Servants were busily trying to fix up the destroyed gardens, to no avail. They walked right on past these futile attempts, and made their way to a shady spot near a small pond, with peach, apple and pear trees all around. There was a small bandstand area, with two thrones seated there. Moondancer took her place in her slightly larger and fancier one. "Alright, you two. Just stay up here. DO NOT WANDER OFF. You need to make a good impression."  
  
Glory soon came and joined the trio, and before long the entire area was one mass of ponies; pegasus ponies, unicorns, Brother ponies, Carousel ponies… you name it. "Okay, fellow citizens of Dream Valley. We have a bit of an urgent case on our hands," began the queen. "We have two new ponies in our land; both are six years old. They have no family left, and they have decided to live with us. We need volunteers to be their adoptive families.  
  
Pyro was silent as the meeting went on, standing before the crowd like some sort of slave being sold off. He did not like it, to say the least. His face fell, though he didn't say a word. He knew that this was far from being sold like a slave, and his mind kept to that.  
  
Hacksign on the other hand just looked about with curiosity. She didn't know who she would go to live with, she wondered if she really cared anyway? No, she finally decided. As long as she had that computer to play with, she would be happy as can be! And at any rate, if worst came to worst, she and Pyro could just leave… couldn't they?  
  
Glory spoke up. "Okay, now this young man's name is Pyro," she said, gesturing in his direction. "He's six years old, as the queen previously stated, quiet, protective, and well behaved."  
  
"Is there any particular way you want to go about this?" called someone from the throng.  
  
"No, if you are interested in one of them, just speak up," replied Glory.  
  
A turquoise Twice as Fancy pony with manatees all over her made her way through the congested clearing until she was up close to the bandstand. "Pyro, is it? Well, I live by myself right now, since my husband died in a freak accident. I have a set of twins your age though. My name is Sirenia Dream, although many just call me Sirenia. Would you care to come with me? I may not have as many riches as some of the other ponies, but I love children and would take good care of you."  
  
Pyro looked up a bit at the pony who called herself Sirenia Dreams, a small smile on his face. "I do not seek for riches, or for anything of worth or value as far as materials are concerned. If you are sure you want to take me in, I will not hesitate to argue."   
  
Sirenia looked up in shock at the six year-old's comprehension and extensive vocabulary. She quickly tossed her mane and came up to the bandstand. "Shall we go home now, or would you rather stay for the whole meeting, hon?" she gently asked, her voice melodic and comforting.   
  
"It does not matter to me. If you don't mind so much, I can either stay or go, with the choice being yours." That was all that was said of the pony this, his eyes not meeting hers completely, but a small smile still stuck on his face.  
  
Hacksign stepped up in front of them, and looked about the crowd, as if she indeed had a right to choose. She wondered, who would have the best technology or, in the end for her, the best toys.   
  
Sirenia wondered if there was just a little something she didn't know about this young pony, and had a split second of regret taking him in. But she rid herself of such a foolish thought. 'He probably would like to stay and make sure his friend is taken care of, but doesn't want to put me out,' she thought. "How about we stay Pyro, and just see who your friend goes home with." With that she beckoned to the young lad to come join her down in the grassy knoll. The queen then stepped up again, and went about introducing Hacksign. "This young lady's name is Hacksign. She is... a bit of a handful, as you will be able to tell if you look at my gardens." Many a chuckle could be heard from the crowd. "She's sweet though, and doesn't MEAN any harm. She's also amazingly talented with computers. I would simply suggest that a family who knows how to 'deal' (she said with a wink) with unruly children take her on.   
  
Yeah and, you better have some good stuff!" Hacksign went on to call at the spectators. "Like really really big and cool computers, and none of this stuff called "toilet paper" The stuff is evil, I swear it! And..." she thought. "Oh yeah. And a big yard with all kinds of neat things I've never even seen before, and ooh - high-powered, gigantic thingy's that go really really fast!" She smiled sweetly.  
  
The crowd honestly had NO idea what to make of this impertinent little girl. They had experted a contrite young pony who would do anything to find a home, any home. And yet here she was making demands. Two ponies were having a quick discussion though. They were Forte, a pink female pony with a blue mane and tail, and Chip, a green Big Brother pony with chartreuse hair and a chipmunk symbol. Finally they seemed to come to an agreement. "Your majesty, we would like to take little... er... Hacksign. We have three children of our own, one of which is perfectly behaved and her age. I have two old children... Julio, the boy, and a teenaged daughter, Minnou. I know how to spank a naughty bottom well enough by now, and could quite easily take her in. Besides, we could use some computer work done," he said with a wink.   
  
Hacksign blinked, unsure of some of the words they said. "Eh? Spank? What is spank? And what bottom? Bottom of what?" Obviously, the child had indeed grown up in the woods, as seemed to be her manor. However, she just shrugged, figuring it was another of their technical terms used, another toy in which she could find happiness with. "Sure, I'll go with you. But - you do have really really cool toys, don't you?" She had to make sure.  
  
Chip, as well as half the crowd couldn't suppress their laughter. 'Oh well,' he thought, 'if she's as bad as I've heard, she'll find out about what a spanking and bottom is all too soon for her liking.' Finally he managed to quit long enough to say, "I'm sure you'll find plenty of fun things to do at our house. With three kids... and especially Minnou who is your age, you will won't be bored." He feared deeply though that she would find just TOO much fun in their nice, neat home. 'She'll just have to take a larger portion of chores if she doesn't behanve,' he reasoned, and ambled up to the bandstand to pick up his new charge. The queen smiled in understanding, and said, "Okay, I thank Sirenia and Chip's families for helping these two orphans. Come by the palace tomorrow to sign the adoption papers if you still want to take them on," And with that the meeting came to a close.  
  
Hacksign ran up to Chip, hopping up and down with excitement. "So can we go home now? Huh can we can we can we?" Once again, she was introduced with another word she did not know: chores. She couldn't wait to see all these new wonderful things she had, well, never seen before. And now she would have brothers and sisters? They could have fun with her too!  
  
Pyro smiled, happy that Hacksign had indeed found a family. He himself knew, or at least he thought he could get along well by himself, but it was nice to hear that he was actually accepted somewhere... anywhere... even if he did feel a hint of skepticism by Sirenia Dreams. 


End file.
